It's Time to Ask for More Money

You couldn’t have picked a better time to ask for more money. According to a recent survey by human resources firm Buck Consultants, 76 percent of businesses that imposed salary restrictions during the last 18 months have now lifted their freezes. But that doesn’t mean ­everybody is going to automatically get a boost. If you really want one, you need to be the most cunning deviant in your office. Asking for a raise is like chess, except the loser doesn’t earn enough to pay a mortgage. Here are a few suggestions. Illustrations by Brown Bird Design